Microcosmtab.com virus. How to remove? (Uninstall guide)

Microcosmtab.com is the PUP that uses misleading techniques to prevent removal. Use Reimage to locate malicious components and get rid of them faster than with uninstall instructions. A full system scan blocks virus reappearance and prevents traffic to malicious domains.
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Microcosmtab.com search results should not be trusted

Microcosmtab.com virus is an untrustworthy third-party program that adjusts browser’s settings to force the user to use a strange search engine[1]. Once installed, it adds an extension called Microcosm New Tab, and it’s icon (an upwards-pointing arrow) will appear in your browser’s menu. Clicking it launches a new tab and loads chrome-extension: //nagnmfhgkjkplbhplkbicmpkfopmnefp/newtab.html URL. Near the address line, you will see the name of the extension (developed by Microcosmtab LTD). When analyzing it, we discovered that it has quite a lot of permissions – alongside traditional “read and change all data on sites you visit[2],” it also encroaches on the rights to read and change user’s bookmarks and know one’s email address. You should remember that email address is considered to be sensitive information because scammers can easily add it to their list of contacts that will receive huge amounts of spam[3]. There are various dangers regarding spam emails, and one of them is ransomware – you should be aware of it. We do not say that the developer of this browser hijacker is involved in illegal activities, but keeping sensitive information to yourself is always a good idea. If you feel that this application shouldn’t stay on your computer, you might start thinking about Microcosmtab.com removal. More information about it is provided below.

Questions about Microcosmtab.com virus

The new home page address we described earlier provides a search engine with an animated background and also some information about weather in the area that user lives in. The overall look of this search engine looks okay, and it even reminds us of Google’s default homepage (because there’s Gmail, Images, Video buttons and even alert and gear icons that look exactly like the ones on default Chrome’s home page). Our biggest concern is the search engine itself – it seems that it serves a lot of sponsored advertisements to users, which means that it seeks to cause redirects to them and generate pay-per-click revenue[4]. Unfortunately, external websites advertised by potentially unwanted and untrustworthy programs can be dangerous. Be careful when visiting them, and make sure you do not inattentively agree to install some shady programs or provide personal information somewhere. If you want to use a more trustworthy search engine, better remove Microcosmtab.com using anti-malware programs like Reimage and change homepage settings as explained in the tutorial provided below the article. The tutorial also explains how to uninstall the described hijacker manually.

Microcosmtab.com virus seeks to force users use a shady search engine that pushes various third-party links to user within search results.Remove Microcosmtab.com from WindowsClick 'Start -> Control Panel -> Programs and Features' (if you are 'Windows XP' user, click on 'Add/Remove Programs').Remove Microcosmtab.com from WindowsIf you are 'Windows 10 / Windows 8' user, then right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once 'Quick Access Menu' shows up, select 'Control Panel' and 'Uninstall a Program'.Remove Microcosmtab.com from WindowsRight click on each of suspicious entries and select 'Uninstall'Remove Microcosmtab.com from WindowsRight click on browsers' icon and select 'Properties'Remove Microcosmtab.com from WindowsSelect 'Shortcut' tab and delete 'http://isearch.babylon.com...' or other suspicious URLRemove Microcosmtab.com from Mac OS XCick 'Go' and select 'Applications'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Mac OS XClick on every malicious entry and select 'Move to Trash'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Internet ExplorerClick on menu icon and select 'Manage add-ons'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Internet ExplorerRight click on each of malicious entries and select 'Disable'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Internet ExplorerDelete malicious URL, enter your desired domain name and click 'Apply' to save changesReset Internet ExplorerGo to 'Advanced' tab and click on 'Reset' button. Now select 'Delete personal settings' and click on 'Reset' button againRemove Microcosmtab.com from Microsoft EdgeGo to Settings and select 'Choose what to clear'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Microsoft EdgeSelect 'Clear' buttonRemove Microcosmtab.com from Microsoft EdgeOpen the start menu and select 'Task Manager'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Microsoft EdgeRight-click 'Microsoft Edge' and select 'Go to details'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Microsoft EdgeSelect 'More details' if 'Go to details' option fails to show upRemove Microcosmtab.com from Microsoft EdgeFind Microsoft Edge entries and select 'End Task'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Microsoft EdgeGo to Microsoft Edge folder on your computer, right-click every entry and click 'Delete'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Microsoft EdgeFind Windows PowerShell, right-click it and select 'Run as administrator'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Microsoft EdgeCopy and paste a required command and press 'Enter'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Mozilla FirefoxClick on menu icon and select 'Add-ons'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Mozilla FirefoxSelect 'Extensions' and look for malicious entries. Click 'Remove' to get rid of each of themRemove Microcosmtab.com from Mozilla FirefoxWhen in 'General' tab, delete malicious URL from 'Home Page' section or click on 'Restore to Default' button. Click 'OK' to save changesReset Mozilla FirefoxClick on menu icon and then on '?'. Select 'Troubleshooting Information'Reset Mozilla FirefoxClick on 'Reset Firefox' button for a couple of timesRemove Microcosmtab.com from Google ChromeClick on menu icon. Select 'Tools' and 'Extensions'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Google ChromeLook for malicious entries and delete each of them by clicking on the Trash bin iconRemove Microcosmtab.com from Google ChromeAfter clicking on menu and 'Settings', select 'Set pages'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Google ChromeClick 'X' to remove malicious URLsRemove Microcosmtab.com from Google ChromeWhen in 'Settings', select 'Manage search engines...'Remove Microcosmtab.com from Google ChromeClick 'X' to remove malicious URLsReset Google ChromeWhen in 'Settings', scroll down to 'Reset browser settings' button and click on itReset Google ChromeClick on 'Reset' button to complete your removalRemove Microcosmtab.com from SafariClick on 'Safari' and select 'Preferences'Remove Microcosmtab.com from SafariGo to 'Extensions' and uninstall malicious add-onsRemove Microcosmtab.com from SafariWhen in 'General', delete malicious URL and enter your desired domain nameReset SafariClick on 'Safari' and select 'Reset Safari...'Reset SafariSelect all options and click on 'Reset' button

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Distribution of browser hijackers and tricks used to implement it

There are several ways to distribute Microcosmtab.com redirect virus. First of all, you can download it from its official website. However, users rarely come across it by their own wish, so we assume that some adware programs might be causing redirects to it and suggesting users to try the extension provided by that page. Alternatively, this browser hijacker might get into computer system alongside freeware such games, download managers, and other programs that people sometimes download from the Internet. It is vital to know that freeware usually contains a few “surprises,” also known as bundled software[5]. These bonus programs usually present themselves as “recommended third-party programs,” however, statistics show that they typically are useless ad-supported programs. You should choose Custom or Advanced settings and deselect provided suggestions to install extra programs.

The fastest way to remove Microcosmtab.com hijacker

Users can remove Microcosmtab.com virus without using anti-spyware programs, although automatic removal technique is a faster and more effective one. Using automatic malware and spyware removal programs, it is easy to find and eliminate multiple dangerous programs at once. However, if you are sure that there are no more shady programs on the system, you might want to try these Microcosmtab.com removal instructions and eliminate the cause of the problem by yourself.

What to do if failed?
If you failed to remove virus damage using Reimage, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.

Reimage is recommended to remove virus damage. Free scanner allows you to check whether your PC is infected or not. If you need to remove malware, you have to purchase the licensed version of Reimage malware removal tool.

Get rid of Microcosmtab.com from Windows systems

We are offering REIMAGE to detect malware. You need to purchase Full version to remove infections. More information about Reimage, Uninstall, Terms and Privacy

To remove the hijacker, follow these instructions carefully. Here, we explain how to eliminate software associated with Microcosmtab.

Click Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).

If you are Windows 10 / Windows 8 user, then right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once Quick Access Menu shows up, select Control Panel and Uninstall a Program.

Uninstall Microcosmtab.com and related programs
Here, look for Microcosmtab.com or any other recently installed suspicious programs.

Uninstall them and click OK to save these changes.

Remove Microcosmtab.com from Windows shortcuts
Right click on the shortcut of Mozilla Firefox and select Properties.

Go to Shortcut tab and look at the Target field. Delete malicious URL that is related to your virus.

Repeat steps that are given above with all browsers' shortcuts, including Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. Make sure you check all locations of these shortcuts, including Desktop, Start Menu and taskbar.

Get rid of Microcosmtab.com from Safari

We are offering REIMAGE to detect malware. You need to purchase Full version to remove infections. More information about Reimage, Uninstall, Terms and Privacy

Remove dangerous extensions
Open Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu at the top left of the screen. Once you do this, select Preferences.

Here, select Extensions and look for Microcosmtab.com or other suspicious entries. Click on the Uninstall button to get rid each of them.

Change your homepage if it was altered by virus:
Open your Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu section. Here, select Preferences as it was displayed previously and select General.

Here, look at the Homepage field. If it was altered by Microcosmtab.com, remove unwanted link and enter the one that you want to use for your searches. Remember to include the "http://" before typing in the address of the page.

Reset Safari
Open Safari browser and click on Safari in menu section at the top left of the screen. Here, select Reset Safari....

Now you will see a detailed dialog window filled with reset options. All of those options are usually checked, but you can specify which of them you want to reset. Click the Reset button to complete Microcosmtab.com removal process.